By Gus Ketchell
The Kansas Jayhawks opened Big 12 play in dominating fashion on Saturday, Sept. 20, rolling past the West Virginia Mountaineers 41-10 in Lawrence.
The Jayhawks set the tone early when quarterback Jalon Daniels found receiver Levi Wentz for a 41-yard touchdown strike to cap the first drive. West Virginia struggled to move the ball, punting on its first two possessions as Kansas carried a 7-0 lead into the second quarter.
Kansas extended its lead with a 42-yard field goal after a long drive that included a targeting penalty on West Virginia for a hit on Daniels. After West Virginia got on the board with a 26-yard field goal, Daniels connected with running back Leshon Williams on a 39-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 17-3. A turnover on downs by the Mountaineers set up another Kansas field goal just before halftime, giving Kansas a 20-3 cushion at the half.
Momentum only swung further toward the Jayhawks coming out of the locker room. Receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. electrified the crowd with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, Kansas’ first in four seasons. Daniels later hit tight end Boden Groen for a 7-yard touchdown to push the margin to 34-3 after three quarters.
West Virginia scored its only touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Williams sealed the night with a 62-yard sprint to the end zone, closing the book on Kansas’ 41-10 statement win.
With Big 12 Conference play underway, the Jayhawks return to action on Saturday, Sept. 27 when Kansas welcomes the Cincinnati Bearcats to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium with kickoff slated for 11 a.m. CT.
This article was edited by Eric Lucio. Contact him at ericlucio12@ku.edu for feedback or errors.